Penchant for Poetry

Poetry has been penned, appreciated and loved since times immemorial.. In the medieval times, people had such profound love for poetry that poets were held in high esteem.. Poetry was recited to infuse enthusiasm among fighters in war, to praise the Almighty with heartrending odes and to express pining love to a beloved among other things..

Urdu Shayari has its very unique flavor and its effect is almost spell binding.. Sadly, it is reduced to a pathetic state today and couplets are belted out left, right and center by people claiming to be Shayars.. Not everyone is gifted with the understanding and appreciation of poetry, leave alone the talent of composing it.. Its heartening to realize that the love of Urdu is diminishing in today's times.. In our homes, we do not speak pure Urdu.. we speak the Hindi-Urdu Hyderabadi lingo and so we are not at all proficient in the nuances of Urdu as a language, though we claim it to be our mother tongue..

I have never learnt Urdu.. but whatever understanding I had of it was because of my late father.. (May Allah grant him maghfirath).. He was a great admirer of Urdu poetry and his favorite was Allama Iqbal.. He had taught me some verses of the legendary poet's masterpiece.. 'Shikwa.. Jawaab-E-Shikwa'.. In this masterpiece Iqbal complains to Allah (SWT) about the pathetic condition Muslims have been reduced to.. My father told me that after 'Shikwa' (The Complaint) was compiled, there was a lot of hue and cry about how could a poet possibly have grievances against the Almighty Himself (Nouzbillah!) and a year later Iqbal was compelled to compose 'Jawab-e-Shikwa' (The Response to the Complaint) in which he wrote the reply Allah (SWT) is giving to his grievance.. (Subhanallah!)

If u appreciate Urdu Shayari.. this is a must watch for u..